Two DVDs recently arrived out here. They were pretty much the last package I am expecting, since boxes usually take about 4 weeks and it has been up to 6. One was "Starcrash" and the other was "The Star Wars Holiday Special."

As many know, I show a movie when things permit. Usually I give the Marines two or three choices and let them pick which one. I offered the two recent arrivals and they all wanted to see the "Star Wars" muck. This was after I warned them and suggested they would all be much happier watching Caroline Munro and David Hasselhoff.

They insisted. I consigned my brave Marines to their fate.

This was the dreck I pulled out of my butt when my wife insisted Harrison Ford had never been in a bad movie. It has a couple of surprising performers in it, like Beatrice Arthur, Art Carney, and Harvey Korman. It also seems to go on forever. I think that the director was trying to go for some sort of variety show special, but with a "Star Wars" flavor. The Imperials are turned into some sort of comic Nazi brigade, ala "Hogan's Heroes." That works poorly.

The real problem is that the movie is based around the Wookie custom of observing Life Day. There is no background given for why the Wookies celebrate this holiday, so the audience is left adrift amid poorly connected script work. The highlight - indeed, the only really interesting section - is a stylized cartoon short.

It should also be noted that, since Wookie's are the main characters, you spend a lot of time listening to Chewbacca's family talking amongst themselves. Which ends up meaning, "WGGGGGHHHHHHTTTT!" (Or however you spell that.) Anyway, this is not a good way to keep anyone's attention.

I started trying to help the Marines survive the film, via MST heckling. One impromptu call will definitely make it into my review. When a friendly trader arrives and gives the Wookie family presents, the kid (Lumpy) takes his and runs upstairs. As an aside, said by the trader: "It's a puppy. You can eat it in your room."

And when Leia started singing, man did that ever cause some hate and discontent.

You got that right!I've never actualy seen this...thing...and it hurts to think about!Heres an idea. Print out pics. from the flick, and put them on the targets next Rifle Qualification day. Scores will soar!

Andrew, the Holiday Special was a TV variety special, not an actual movie. It just seemed to drag on long enough to have been one. For some reason the scene of the kid wookie transmitting "return to base" would get stuck in my mind occasionally for years afterward, irritating the crap out of me.

I actually recall seeing this in the original broadcast when I was a kid. How did you get it in DVD? I thought Lucas banned the thing from ever being reproduced and rebroadcast and it only existed in bootleg form.

If I'm not mistaken, the animated bit was the first time Boba Fett was introduced to the world. The characters looked real lumpy like the TV animated version of The Hobbit.

I have heard that an interviewer asked Carrie Fisher about this special a few years after it came out and she actually pretended that she didn't know what the interviewer was talking about, basically denying there was such a special.

All I remember is that for me it was like crack. At my age, TWO YEARS until the next movie seemed like a freaking eternity and I wanted to get all the Star Wars I could, Bea Arthur or no Bea Arthur. I'm sure now I would find it hilarious.

I actually recall seeing this in the original broadcast when I was a kid.

I did too..at a time when I thought anything "Star Wars" was cool

I have heard that an interviewer asked Carrie Fisher about this special a few years after it came out and she actually pretended that she didn't know what the interviewer was talking about, basically denying there was such a special.

Given her condition on the set, she may not be aware it exists and she was in it

Logged

=======================Going places unmapped, to do things unplanned, to people unsuspecting

Yeah, this movie pretty much turned the young Marines into Peace (or Piece?) from "Wizards." They would hunch over and repeat the phrase, "Not good, not good." over and over. For my part, I went ahead and made notes for writing a review - which I will work on before going to sleep for a few nights. Just something special for next Christmas.

Heres an idea. Print out pics. fro the flick, and put them on the targets next Rifle Qualification day. Scores with soar!

Yeah, but they lose points if they do not follow the course of fire. Can you imagine the chaos in the pits as Marines unload on Lumpy in burst mode, during the 200 meter slow fire?

How did you get it in DVD? ... All I remember is that for me it was like crack. At my age, TWO YEARS until the next movie seemed like a freaking eternity

The Internet is an interesting place and DVD-Rs are pretty widespread; someone sent it to me. Also, I think that the one episode of "The Muppet Show" would be a safer way to get your "Star Wars" fix. If "Star Wars" is cocaine, well, this is like cocaine cut with Borax...

The above mentioned episode of "The Muppet Show" did have Mark Hamill gargling Gershwin, but Kermit told Animal, "Go sic 'em!' and that was darn funny.

Carrie Fisher has admitted more recently that she was indeed heavily in her drug taking phase around the time of the Holiday Special. Since this thing's notority has lived on despite Lucas trying to erase the memory of it (he also denied it's existence for years), she may have figured it was easier to own up to it rather than deny it whether she remembers the thing or not.

I also saw it when it first aired, but it was before we got a VCR, and I only had vague memories of what I saw. I totally forgot the variety show bits with Art Carney, Bea Arthur, and company (I wouldn't have known who they were at the time anyway). I didn't remember the animated Boba Fett segment either, and used to be confused or did not believe other kids I knew who told me they had seen him on TV before ESB was released. The couldn't remember it was part of the Holiday special just that it was a cartoon.

I do remember being really bored waiting for the main cast of "Star Wars" to show up since the show was so long and the teasers at the commercial breaks kept mentioning that they would appear. Damn Wookies...........

Better be careful. Showing The Star Wars Holiday Special to the marines could be considered undermining the war effort. You could be charged with treason.

I also saw this when it aired. As with everyone else who saw it, I was hungry for anything Star Wars. I do remember being somewhat disappointed in it, but it might not have seemed so bad at the time. Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur and Art Carney were bigger names then, and cheesy TV variety specials were the norm. In hindsight, however, it's the worst of a bad lot. I'd pretty much forgotten (repressed?) it until I found a bootleg a few years ago, and it all came flooding back. Who could forget Korman pouring a drink into the top of his head? And I'm sure lots of kids were traumatized when the Imperials trashed Lumpy's room and ripped the head off his stuffed bantha. Funny, as bad as it is, you can't take your eyes off it. It's like a trainwreck.

By the way, does the bootleg DVD include the Kenner toy commercial? I recall that was the best part of the bootleg I saw.